


The Island

by Scaredy_Batz



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot, Porn With Plot, Threesome, a shame, there's no tag for crypto x lifeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:54:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25623229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scaredy_Batz/pseuds/Scaredy_Batz
Summary: A group of survivors wake up on what is assumed to be an uninhabited island. Nobody is around to help them but themselves. They start to learn about each other, maybe a little too much too fast. And maybe they learn that they aren't as alone as they thought - or as they hoped.
Relationships: Bloodhound & Mirage | Elliott Witt, Bloodhound/Caustic | Alexander Nox, Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey, crypto/lifeline
Kudos: 21





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Only this chapter will be in 1st person. Unless...?

_“H-Hey, hey Doc! We got another one! Or I think we got another one? He’s either dead or uncor-- incon-- uh.. Not awake. But he’s moving. Unless it’s the waves moving him? I can’t tell-- Wait, I think his face twitched! Don’t the nerves in a dead body twitch for a certain amount of time? Or, uh is that a myth? Either way, we got a body here! Can’t tell if he’s alive or not! Hey! Guy, can you hear me!?--”_

_For the love of whatever God is out there, tell this_ **_nitwit_ ** _to shut up._

My head is throbbing, and the voice that sounds less than five feet away doesn’t help it any. The sun is beating down on my eyes, my face. It feels like it’s going to melt my flesh, disintegrate it into nothing. If it does, I hope it does so quickly. I would hate to meet the face who owns the vexatious voice shouting in my ear. My ears are ringing with just his very presence.

“Stop yuh yellin’! If he’s alive and awake, he ain’t gon’ appreciate yuh shoutin’ in his ear.”

She would be correct. The presence of another being prevented me from reaching out and strangling the mongrel with a closed fist. Unfortunate. His very breath will irritate me in this Hell.

..Where am I?

I instinctively grimace when opening my eyes. I feel hot and cold. The sun is blazing down on me, and I scowl at the blinding light. A figure approaches and stands in the way, blessing me with some shade. She speaks to me, kneeling down beside me.

“I’m assumin’ yuh can hear me. Do yuh know who you are? Do yuh remember anythin’?” She asked, reaching forward when I lifted a hand to my head. I feel her hand touch my forearm, but I sit myself up without her assistance. Of course I remember my name. But she shouldn’t know that, I note when my eyes land on her, now able to see her face properly. A young looking woman, peculiarly colored hair. Pink. It almost shows how childish her first impression is, but I make no mention of it.

“No,” I answer her, shaking my head. She frowns, full lips pouting and brown eyes narrowing.

“Well that’s gonna be a problem for anotha time. Righ’ now, we just need to make sure you can move and yuh not dehydrated.” She motioned to my legs, which I tested. They felt tired. Sore. But movable. I lift one to slightly bend at the knee to a more comfortable sitting position. She seems pleased, and she stands up. She offers her hand to me to help me up. I stand without her help, instinctively brushing my shirt. I easily tower over her, a mountain of man to many. She doesn’t seem to be affected by my stature and shrugs off my second denial of her help. “My name is--” she starts, but she’s interrupted by the insufferable voice I had been woken up by. We both turn, and this is when I first take in my surroundings.

I was woken up on a beach, a long shore going who knows how many miles. Tropical trees and other plantlife mark the entrance to what appeared to be woods or jungle to the left of me, a multitude of flowers and plants I couldn’t name. Perhaps I could some other time, but for now, my mind is foggy. My head still throbs as I attempt to remember. Further down the shore, I see a tan looking man with a panicked expression. He is dragging something out of the water, another body. The woman curses and runs down the shoreline to meet him, while I take my own pace to join them.

The man drops the body he was dragging as we approach, and the woman slides to her knees beside the fallen. I spot her applying CPR as I approach, and I catch a good look on the body. Another woman, her skin pale, but her hair blacker than night. She doesn’t appear to be breathing, and the woman is trying to bring her back. The man is pacing when I glance at him. His form is soaked, he seemed to have left the shore to pull the unfortunate girl out of the water. I almost tell the attempting hero to give up on her, when the raven haired girl startles awake, coughing up water and sitting up abruptly. The other two seem to have been shocked, but I’m only surprised by her survivability. The doctor attempts to speak to her, but the girl scrambles away with wide eyes, a panicked expression. She immediately questions everyone, hand instinctively reaching for something or anything at her side, but she can only find a stick. She grabs it and snaps it to a sharp edge, pointing the makeshift weapon at the three of us. “Who are you? Where am I? What do you want? How did we get here? Wh-” The doctor raises her hands up to show she’s unarmed, and defenseless.

“We don’t know ‘bout anything goin’ on righ’ now. We’re as clueless as you are. Just wanted to keep yuh breathin’.” The panicked woman scans the doctor, the other man, and myself. Her eyes are trained on me for a large amount of time, but I remain silent. The moment our eyes meet, she looks away. “Easy, we’re not gonna hurt yuh,” the doctor eases in, using her hands to motion the woman to lower her weapon. She hesitantly does so, but she glances back at me for a second. “What’s yuh name?” The doctor asks, and the raven haired woman appears reluctant.

“I don’t remember.” _Another one_ , I muse. My gaze never leaves her form, and she knows it. It’s uncomfortable. The doctor’s face twitches into another frown and she shares a look with the other man.

“Well, my name is Ajay Che. I’m a doctor, so if yuh feel funny or unwell, let me know, yah?” Miss Che introduced herself, and she motioned a hand to the other man. All eyes land on him while he paces, stroking at his beard. He stops when he realizes we’re all staring, and shows a nervous smile.

“Wuh-- I didn’t do it. Whatever it is you guys think I did, nope, you, uh. You got the wrong guy. Unless you guys want something? Is this a mutiny? Is that the right term--” His eyes went wide with a moment of realization seeing our features melt into a mix of concern and annoyance. “Oh! Names! Uh, yeah! My name! Is! Elliott!” He laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Witt! Elliott Witt. That’s it.”

He seems to have lost his wit.

Ajay appears relieved that at least one other person remembers their name, and she looks back to the woman. “Do yuh need help standin’?” she asks, but the other quickly refuses.

“I got it,” she cuts in almost too quickly, forcing herself to stand. She almost stumbles, which Ajay half reaches to help her, but she regains her balance and steps away. Two steps taken back, her eyes full of distrust. _She has no reason to trust me_ , I think to myself. Ajay decides against reaching for her again and motions to something by the treeline. It seemed they were gathering lost suitcases and setting them aside, in the shade. The nameless woman nervously wandered towards the shade, possibly hoping to find water. Ajay joined her, leaving me and Witt. One look towards him - a glare - and he laughs nervously and jogs over to join the two girls.

Alone at last.

I take in a slow breath, looking over the area. When I finally look around, I realize just how far the beach goes, and just how wide it can become. My gut clenches upon seeing how tall the trees grow in the distance. I loathe the realization that we haven’t washed ashore on normal land, but an uncivilized island. I frown and turn around, looking out to the sea. I can see the wreckage in the distance. Crashed into the sea, a spacecraft was half submerged far away, fires burning on the side above water. It was large enough to house hundreds of families. Maybe even thousands. Only the useful had made their way onto the ship, the skilled. I, myself, was one of the most useful ones who had gotten onto the ship. The people favor scientists and doctors. I had a silver spoon and a silver platter, but it was all gone, burning away and sinking to the bottom of the unknown. So many years, wasted. *What of the others? Are they alive?* I wonder in silence, staring towards the wreckage. A blast in the distance gives birth to more flames.

“That’s, uh.. That’s unfur- Infortut- Untorf- That’s.. Not good.” I hear a voice standing beside me, and I turn to see Witt standing there, his eyes on the wreckage. He’s holding his jaw with thought, worry enveloping his features. “That could have been us,” he continues, “Why wasn’t it us?” ..He may be lacking brain cells, but he asks a valid question. Why were we here, if we were on the ship? Where are the others? I can’t help but question how I survived myself.

I also wonder how such an uneducated child managed to survive.

“‘Ey! Elliott! There’s some more people comin’ our way!” Ajay shouts from the edge of the woods, jogging down to the beach and waving her arms at a few figures down the shore that walked towards us. I inspect the figures, spotting a large man, two women, and.. Unfortunately, a MRVN. Why would they bring _that_ with them? I grimace, as does Elliott, and we walk back to Ajay to meet with the newcomers. Several are friendly faces, and one.. I recognize. I feel a heavy weight lift off of my shoulders at the sight of her, but I say nothing. She is a little distracted by our surroundings, holding someone’s hand. The MRVN’s. My eyebrows furrow just slightly at the sight. Elliott runs to greet them with Ajay, while I walk.

The man greets us with a sickeningly sweet smile, he’s large. He would be intimidating if it weren’t for his friendly looking face. “We’re glad to see someone else on this island!” He laughs, Ajay beams at his presence and agrees quickly. He offers a strong hand to her as well as his name, “Makoa Gibraltar! Nice to meet ya!” He looks exhausted, forehead slick with sweat. Ajay shakes his hand and introduces herself, Elliott, and I. I say nothing, and Elliott explains that he’s happy to have more company. “This is Anita, and this is Natalie!” He introduces the two girls, and my eyes land on Natalie briefly. _At least she survived._

“And- And, who, uh.. Who’s that big guy there..? The tall and.. Metal..” Elliott laughs nervously, eyeing the tall MRVN as if it would reach out and grab him. Makoa catches his gaze and grins.

“This is Pathfinder! No idea why he’s here, but he’s pretty neat! Don’t worry bruddah, he won’t hurt ya!” I don’t trust this “Pathfinder,” but I don’t focus on it. Elliott doesn’t seem to immediately trust it either, but he just nervously laughs in agreement. The bot in question raises a hand to wave, the cracked screen on his chest displaying a happy face.

“Hello, friends!” His voice sounds intoxicatingly sweet. I grimace and look away, spotting the nameless woman hugging herself by the edge of the woods. I decide to distance myself from the group and make my way over, my target being the pile of luggage the others had gathered. Water, food. When I reach my destination, the woman instinctively scoots away, clutching a dark scarf around her shoulders tightly. Panicked eyes land on me, but I ignore them as I look through the suitcases for anything that would be of use to me. I find a bottle of water, and I stand up, twisting the cap off and bringing it to my lips. Clean water hits my tongue and travels past my throat, my eyes falling shut with a subtle glee. I tilt my head back slowly as I take a drink, enjoying myself - too much.

“Sorry,” I hear a new voice say, before the water is abruptly taken from me and wets my shirt from the force. I cough and glare at the perpetrator, eyes landing on the woman who had just arrived. Anita was her name. “Can’t let you drink all of this, gotta share with everyone else.” She moves to take the cap back from my hand, and I pull my hand back from her before she can reach. We share a long glare, tension between us felt like static. My hand tightens into a fist around the cap. Then I open my hand and drop it - onto the sand. With an annoyed grunt, I turn and walk away after grabbing a new shirt and pants from the open suitcase. She watches me walk away, and I hear her say to the other girl. “Does he always act like that?” I hear the quiet one respond,

“I don’t know. I don’t like him.”

Nobody does.

I decide to venture past trees and flora to investigate a shallow part of the woods. I push past vines and thin trees to find a small clearing with some other luggage here and there. I see a soaking wet doctor’s coat hanging over a tree branch, and suspect Ajay was here. I ignore it and begin unbuttoning my shirt, remembering how drenched I was to begin with. It drops to the ground carelessly, and I work on undoing my pants next, letting them pool at my bare feet. I can feel burns from older times when I run a hand across my shoulder, the back of my neck. My eyes close and a slow sigh escapes my throat. After rubbing the soreness away, I pull on the fresh pair of pants, finding them a little more loose than I had hoped. I frown when I finish up the button and zipper, making a note that I should find a belt somewhere, if I’m lucky. The shirt itself is a little tight when closed, so I leave it open for the time being. I hear something rustle in a bush, or perhaps in a tree, and I freeze to look around. I see nothing, but I can’t get rid of the feeling that I’m being watched. I frown to myself, and I turn around to return to the beach, only to see the small raven haired woman staring at me.

She’s holding a bundle of clothes tightly to her chest, her eyes don’t leave me, and my eyes don’t leave her. She’s attempting to avoid eye contact, however. I almost smirk, but my lips only twitch. As I start to walk, she tenses and holds the clothes more firmly. “Be careful,” I say as I walk past her, my shoulder bumping hers rather roughly. She’s still stiff. “Something might be watching.” I glance back to her before continuing my way back to the beach.

“Ya, take what yuh need, go get changed before yuh get a cold from the water.” I exit to see Ajay watching the others look through the lost luggage for clothes, and her eyes land on me. “You,” she starts, pointing at me. I pause with a raised eyebrow before she continues, “You and Makoa can help Elliott try an’ get some beds and stuff made up. Unless ya wanna go scoutin’ with Anita. Got a feelin’ we gonna be here a while. Best ta look at our options.” She gives me a choice, but I know I would rather not involve myself with a controlling woman. I sigh slowly and walk towards Elliott and Makoa, who were already working on making a few leafy beds on the beach. It would be an itchy night.

“..make porkchops together when we get back! I have the best recipe for porkchops, my own mom’s recipe,” Elliott states rather proudly while he drags multiple palm leaves towards their chosen position, not too far from the luggage. Makoa laughs at the idea, but it doesn’t sound like he’s mocking the man. “Like, I don’t- I don’t mean to brag, but people _loved_ my porkchops! Used to serve ‘em up for parties!” I silently gather palm leaves to create enough beds for everyone. Gibraltar is setting up frames using branches from small trees. He’s using brute strength to tear them down, admirable. “‘Course, that was, like.. Before this. You know. The.. almost drowning.” He laughs nervously, trying to fill the silence with some chatter.

“Hey! When in doubt, we can have a barbeque here! Ain’t nothin’ but fish, but it’ll be a nice cookout, bruddah!” Makoa laughs as he sets the last bundle of wood down, where I prepare to lay a bed. The man stands with a grin. “I’m gonna go and see if I can get some firewood, I’ll be back before ya know it.” With that, Makoa turns and walks into the woods, leaving me with Elliott. I dread every passing second and do my best to ignore him.

“Do you think they’re.. Uh.. Gonna look for us? Like, they _have_ to notice a giant ship is kinda missing? With thousands of people on it? And we didn’t reach our destination? Like they’ll think that’s susc- sups.. Sush.. not right, right?” Worry drips off of Elliott’s tongue while I gather the last bundle of leaves, laying and tucking it across the wooden frame that Makoa had left for us. “Right?” Elliott asks for confirmation. I stand and look him in the eye.

“Your inconsequential existence requires no search party. Only those of utter importance will be searched for and retrieved for the growth of an adequate society, like myself, and Miss Natalie. Save your breath, the prospect of deliverance for you is small.” I stare at his dumbfounded expression before I finish the last palm leaf, and I move to return to Ajay who was searching through the luggage and sorting it. I can hear Elliott stutter behind me as I walk away.

“Y-Yeah! I gotta be important to them, right? So.. They’ll definitely come for me! Don’t worry! I’ll tell them to pick you up, too!”

Ignoring the idiot talking to himself in the background, I approach Miss Che and clear my throat to get her attention. “What will we do for food? I doubt the luggage has enough sustenance for multiple people for an undetermined amount of time,” I ask her, watching her wrinkle her nose in thought. She places her hands on her hips while she thinks to herself.

“..How ‘bout yuh go fishin’? Plenty of food out there,” she motions to the sea behind me, and I only glance back before giving her a disgusted scowl.

“I’m no fisherman. You’ll have to find someone else for the job,” I deny her, I would rather live off of coconuts than come back on the beach smelling like dead fish.

“I’ll do it! I love fishing!” Makoa calls out as he returns with a hefty bundle of firewood, dropping it on a dry patch of grass with a broad grin. Ajay appears pleased with his willingness to go swimming and search for fish quicker than him. “Just give me a spear and I’ll get us dinner for the night!” Yes, night would approach us shortly. It must have been a long day since I had washed ashore.

“At least someone wants ta help out,” Ajay states in a teasing manner before she pats Makoa’s arm when he walks over. “I’ll find yuh somethin’ to go huntin’ wit’, give me a second.” She smiles at him and walks to the edge of the woods to find a good stick that would make a decent makeshift spear. Anita goes to help her, and Makoa flashes me a grin. My nose twitches and I turn to leave when a large hand places itself on my shoulder. I fight the urge to grip the hand and pull him down. To reach for his throat and _squeeze_.

“If you want to, I can always teach you to fish, bruddah! Nothing beats boredom like going and fishing! Feels like an accomplishment when you haul one in.” Makoa sounds so friendly, it’s disgusting. I grimace and reach up, taking his hand and dropping it as if it was garbage.

“I’m flattered by your offer, but I’m afraid I have to decline. I’m not a fan of smelling like rotting fish.” Makoa’s face shifts, and he lets me leave finally. I have an idea of who to visit next, and she’s sitting beside the blasted machine.

“Miss Paquette,” I call to her as I approach the young woman sitting on a fallen log. She lifts her head and spots me, blue eyes widening and a bright smile showing.

“Doctor _Curie_!” She exclaims, standing up and rushing towards me. I steady myself when her body comes into contact with mine, she embraces me. I place a warm hand on her shoulder with a low chuckle. “I am so glad you’re alright! I was worried about you, it was so noisy and bright. I was scared without you,” she explains, releasing me to look up at me with expectant blue eyes.

“I’m happy to see you’re safe and unharmed, Miss Paquette.” I give her a small hug, careful not to squeeze her. She giggles and pulls me towards the log, and I glare at the machine standing by it, who waves with another happy face. I clear the glare and clear my throat, “Pathfinder, is it? I am worried for your wellbeing. Sand can get into your joints and damage your systems if you’re not careful, though water rinses it out.”

“Oh! Thank you for your input, friend! I haven’t encountered sand before. Sand is fun! I sink into it if I stand too long in it while it’s wet!” Pathfinder waves goodbye to Wattson and happily jogs to go get rid of the sand in his systems, if he has any at all.

“Doctor _Curie_ , how did you escape?” That name again. It is mine, because I took it. I sit beside her on the log and shake my head. “I don’t know. I must have hit my head, because I can’t recall.” I reach a hand up to run it through my hair, rub my face. She has a face of wonder and worry, and I show her a small smile. “I am fine, Miss Paquette. Just exhausted from all of this.”  
  
“Oh, yes, I understand. This adventure has left me emotionally and physically drained..” She pouts slightly.

“You should rest when you can. Eat, drink plenty of water, and rest. We have many long days ahead of us.”

“How long do you think we will stay before help arrives?” She asks, curiosity and innocence in her tone. I can look her in the eye with my answer, but I decide not to.

“I don’t know the answer to that, unfortunately. I only know we must take it day by day. But I want to warn you.. I don’t believe these people are as pure of heart as we hope,” I say, my voice now as low as a whisper. Natalie leans in to listen, and I whisper to her, “I don’t think they are safe to trust. Please, be careful.”

Natalie shows a skeptical smile, and she prepares to speak. “Oh, doctor, I don’t think--”

“Hey! I got us some dinner for the night!” Makoa calls from the beach, holding up a spear with multiple stabbed fish and a bright grin.

“And I got the fire going! Gosh, it’s hot. Didn’t expect it to be that hot. But then again it _is_ fire and it’s not, like, in the movies.” I can hear Elliott chatter to himself, and I clear my throat and stand, Natalie watching me.

“I’m afraid I’m too exhausted to continue for tonight. Perhaps we can explore together tomorrow, Miss Paquette.” I gently take her hand in mine, and bend down to kiss the back of hers. She smiles when I do so, and I release her hand and retreat towards the makeshift beds. Everyone is gathering by the fire quite a bit away. I stake my claim on a bed and roll over on it, back facing everyone, but I can see the wreckage, flames still burning. I don’t know what will happen now. I don’t know how we’ll get out of this mess. I don’t know who will survive on this uncharted island.

But I do know that I, Alexander Nox, **killed those people**.


	2. Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group wakes up and decides it's best to try to survive, but Alexander apparently doesn't appreciate Ajay ordering him around. Tension raises in the group for the day, but it won't go without a conclusion; it'll end with a vote. The group splits off to gather food, figure out the water situation, and to scout the rest of the island in hopes of finding something to help them survive. Some uncomfortable situations blossom, but others have success in their mission to make things easier for everyone. It turns out, they haven't found everyone on the island.

"Alrigh’, first things first, we need ta gather water,” Ajay started early in the morning. 7:21 AM, Mirage’s clock said - but none of them had any idea if it was even right. There was water trapped behind the glass. Honey brown eyes glossed over the survivors on the beach, standing in a small gathering while Ajay stood in front of them all. Her jacket was hanging over her shoulders, her baggy pants replaced with shorts and a strapless shirt hugging her chest, showing off her stomach. Her pink hair was no longer nicely kept in pigtails, but it was frizzy and tied into a ponytail. She eyed the group before her, inspecting each and every one of them to see who was fit for a job.

She immediately noticed Elliott yawning and looking exhausted with a sleeping mask still over his forehead. She imagined that if they were anywhere normal, or if there was even a pillow available, he would be hugging it while wearing a robe of some sort. Or barely anything at all. He looked out of it, but his eyes were still on her. He rubbed at his eyes, and she noticed he got sand in his facial hair. At least it wasn’t in his eyes, she supposed.

The nameless raven-haired girl, who she planned on gently questioning soon, looked as though she hadn’t slept for days. She stared at the doctor. She had been awake when Ajay woke up, but she said nothing to her. The girl seemed to be in her own little world earlier today, but the blonde, Natalie, seemed to be happily chatting her up. It seemed she didn’t _mind_ her company, at least for now. Natalie was friendly, and the girl was thrown into a world of strangers. Everyone here was a stranger to everyone, or that’s what Ajay assumed. She had every right to be afraid.

Natalie appeared to be smiling, but it was a little _false_ , Ajay noticed. She decided not to question it, plenty of faces here would be faking smiles and laughs. Fake it to make it. But, it looked like she wanted to believe that everything would be okay, and Ajay would let her believe that. But still, she wanted to think realistically and logically. How they would survive, how they would find safety. How they would get back _home_ if home was waiting for them.

Makoa Gibraltar was next to look over. He seemed able and awake plenty for the day to come. His hair was tied into a tight bun, he wore a tank-top to fight the heat that would come in the afternoon. His feet were bare, but she didn’t blame him. The sand would just get into whatever shoes you’re wearing when you’re this far down the beach. He was certainly the brawns in this situation, but he absolutely was not lacking any brains. Their gaze met, and he showed Ajay a confident and approving smile accompanied with a nod.

Standing beside Makoa was Anita. Williams was her last name, as they all learned late last night while they were having dinner. She had shared her story, as did several others that were comfortable with it. She had a military background of sorts, she was strong and very capable. Headstrong, too. She was awake before Ajay was, carving spears in preparation for either spearfishing, or defending themselves against unwanted guests. Anita had shared a look with Ajay a few hours ago,

_“You never know what lived on this island before we got here.”_

She had a point, as much as Ajay wanted to ignore it.

The MRVN wasn’t initially invited to the group, but he was standing there regardless. She could see the sun shining off of him, lighting his metallic frame up. He called himself Pathfinder, and she had wondered why. He was one of the few who told their stories at the campfire - but it was a very short one. Apparently, his programming had only begun bugging when everything crashed. Ajay felt something for him. Maybe it was _pity_.

Then came _Doctor Dimitri Curie_ . Natalie jogged the man’s memory, shared his name, or the one that he wanted everyone to believe. He was a chemist. The man’s startlingly green eyes were on Ajay’s frame when she looked over at him, his gaze never leaving her. Unblinking, eyebrows furrowed. She was reminded of an angry owl. There was something _unsettling_ about him. Pushing the thought to the side, she decided that he was fit for labor and that was it.

“We got plenty of food here, with tha fishin’ and the fruits along tha shore. We gotta find what suitcase has what, find somethin’ with water. Somethin’ just to last us before we can make somethin’ to harvest fresh water for ourselves. I think--”

“Who put you in charge?” Everything and everyone paused, Ajay turning to look at _Dimitri_ , finding that his eyes still have not left her. A shudder shot up through her spine, but she smiled and quirked an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips and cocking one hip to the side where she stood. She tilted her head.

“I’m sorry? Do I hear yuh complainin’?”

“You do. In fact, I never heard a discussion of confirmation that you would be leading us to salvation.” Their gazes clashed, and her eyes narrowed.

“Well, yuh the only one filin’ a complaint, so you can sit down.”

“Do you have expertise in leadership?”

“No, but I have expertise in _kicking yuh ass if ya keep this up._ ”

Tension sparked between them, and Anita took a step forward, but Mirage stepped between _Dimitri_ and Ajay with his hands raised. “Ladies, ladies, I have two hands! And yes, you can both hold one for five minutes. But uh, I don’t think, uh.. I don’t think this is the best time to start an agr- er.. A fight. We’re tired, we’re cranky, we’re tired- We’re _hungry_! How ‘bout I try and cook something for us? For breakfast? Yeah? Sounds good? Okay, sounds good! Please don’t bite each other’s heads off while I’m gone! Makoa, please come with me because I’m going to need fish and I can’t do any fishing, I’m not a fishman- Fishingman? Manfish.. Man of fishing.. Y-You get the idea!” Mirage rambled as he stepped back awkwardly, grabbing onto Makoa’s arm and pulling him back, clumsily taking a spear before putting it into Gibraltar’s hand. Makoa seemed conflicted about staying, but Anita nodded towards him and he relaxed. She had this.

“Witt’s right. There’s no reason for there to be a fight. _Nobody_ is the boss right now, we’re just spitting ideas to fulfill what we need. But it looks like Che has it under control. She knows what we need, when we need it, and where. If you have a _problem_ with it,” she shot a look towards _Dimitri_ , she could see his nose and lips twitch into the ghost of a scowl. “Then we can have a vote. But right now, I think that getting water and finding out what our options of survival are more important right now. The voting can wait till tonight, when the fire is lit, everyone is fed, watered, and cooled down.” She watched _Dimitri_ intently before he grunted and turned, walking off. The tension was still there, Ajay watching him leave trails in the sand. “..Alright,” Anita sighed out.

“No, I think it’s a good idea. A vote is fair. Everyone can vote who they wanna follow. Whoever has tha most votes is our leader.” Ajay looked towards Anita with a softer gaze. The other woman shrugged her shoulders and crossed muscular arms over her chest.

“You got my vote,” Anita chuckled lightly before clearing her throat. “Anyway. Water first, but I do want to look around the island to see what the land has to offer. Does anybody want to join? Promise I won’t go too fast for ya,” she looked over the group, and witnessed the MRVN raising his hand immediately, bouncing on his feet in his place. Like a child waiting to be called on, even a smile on his screen. Anita’s smile faltered, “Anybody?” she asked again, seeing nobody else excited to join her. She even looked at the raven haired girl, the blondie too! The silent one shook her head and Natalie reached a hand up to lightly itch her cheek with her index finger and a nervous smile.

“Oh, I want to help miss Che with building a proper water filtration system. _Désolé_ , miss Williams.” Natalie stood, Ajay smiling when she approached with many plans already going in her head. Ajay was glad to have her help, already guiding her away towards their little base camp. This left Anita, Pathfinder, and the girl. Anita stared at the girl, her smile much more strained. Unfortunately for her, the raven-haired girl was avoiding her gaze at all costs. There was no helping her.

“..Alright, MRVN. Let’s go,” Anita sighed slowly. She heard the robot exclaim with glee and follow her eagerly through the sand, doing his best not to sink. If he made any weird moves..

* * *

“Y-You know, I, uh. I _really_ am not cut out for this, big guy,” Elliott laughed nervously, clutching his spear in two hands and shuddering when a wave washed against his legs, his waist. His shorts were rolled up to his mid-thigh, he made a look of distaste with the wetness clinging to his body a little too much for his liking. Makoa laughed with more heart, dipping a hand into the water and splashing Elliott’s front, causing him to jump and yelp.

“You gotta relax, bruddah! Maybe the reason why you can’t catch any fish is because they know you can be teased!” Makoa motioned to the wet but empty spear in Elliott’s hands, then to his own that had already pierced two over the course of three minutes. Elliott made a very nervous chuckle, but hazel eyes went wide when he saw a reasonably sized fish wading towards him. He instinctively made a sound of distrust and unease, stepping back, lifting his legs high to avoid touching the slimy thing. It was crossing between his legs, and he lost his balance all too easily, falling back with a shout. The fish swam away, leaving Makoa laughing when Elliott sat up and pushed himself into standing, splashed by another wave. “See! They’re just messin’ with ya, you gotta stand up to yourself! Against a fish, c’mon!”

"Um, yeah, I think I'm gonna, uh, I'm gonna let you have all the fun, big guy! You're the master of fishing- the fishing master, the master fishman. But me? I'm the master of porkchops. We all have our own perfuctio- purifict- purr.. ..Things we're good at. Fishing isn't mine. You can have it, there's, uh, there's plenty of fish in the sea!" Elliott laughed nervously, wading back to the shore with Makoa watching him with a grin. The nameless girl lifted her head to watch Elliott attempt to fix himself up, sitting a moderate distance towards the middle of the shore."You do that, and I--" Elliott paused once he reached the shore, sticking the spear into the sand and attempting to wring out his shorts before he could walk. "I am going to go _porkchop hunting_ ," he stated so matter-of-factly, rolling his shorts down and pulling on a button-up tropical shirt, leaving it open to expose his chest. He cleared his throat and waved a goodbye to his friends, snatching up the spear and striding up the shore with pride towards the edge of the woods.

Makoa looked a little baffled, maybe a little skeptical. The girl watched the man disappear into the woods before she looked back to Makoa. She arched a brow, looking confused with her stick in hand, she had been sharpening it. "..He does know that porkchops aren't in the wild, right?" She asked, appearing unsure herself. Makoa shrugged and turned to resume fishing.

* * *

"How hard can this be?" Elliott asked himself, stepping past thick bushes and other odd plants. The answer? Harder than he had initially thought, but Elliott was not one to back down too easily. He had almost tripped several times, and he actually did once or twice. Nobody would know. Nobody could see! Nobody could _tell_. He kept on hiking on, muttering to himself about one thing or another. Something just to keep him sane. He whacked at some leaves with the spear, using it as a stick to smack the foliage away from his person, his free hand smacking his cheek to get an annoyingly buzzy bug from sweaty flesh. He squinted at his palm, seeing an icky green goo on it, presumably from the insect. He grimaced and wiped the goo off on his shirt and continued on. "Gross - Why is this place so gross?" The grimace remained until he saw red beads in the distance, bundled up together in a bush. His stomach growled, lips almost wet with saliva at the idea of them being the sweetest berries on whatever planet this was. "Oh, yes, please. Come here, you sweet, delicious things, you," he cooed, walking forward with a drunk smile on his lips. His smile faltered however when he heard a snort and a rustle. He stopped and crouched down into the grass with wide eyes, watching the bush move and shift. Then he saw something peculiar.

A creature resembling a hog rummaged through the bush, but its coat was white with grey speckles. Its tusks looked more like fangs, its tail longer with a spine of barbs leading from its back to the tip of the tail. Its eyes were black, its nose a darker grey than the splotches on its short looking fur. It snuffed at the bush before nipping at a bundle of berries, testing it with its tongue and apparently sharp fangs hidden behind large lips. It snorted and huffed, tongue pushing the crushed berries off of its tongue and whipping its tail in aggravation. Its spit mixed with berries and landed on the floor - creating a sizzling effect. The tusked beast snorted and licked at its lips and its fangs, its tusks, a reddish liquid of both berry juice and saliva coating them. The boar then shook its head, slobbering some extra away before it turned and trotted in another direction. Elliott crouched, dumbfounded, staring at the mushed berries melting the leaves and grass it had landed on. He no longer wanted to eat those berries.

Deciding to avoid the berry bush at all costs, Elliott stood up from his hiding spot and brushed loose leaves from his shorts, and he continued trudging along. "Maybe this was a stupid decision." Perhaps it was. "Maybe I should just head back." Perhaps he _should_. "..I can't really go back empty- empty handed." Elliott huffed, slowly getting aggravated. He slapped another bug away, flicking the remains off his hand while he walked. Shoulders slouched, gaze defeated, spear low in a lazy hand, Elliott looked as though he wanted to give up already, but he didn't want to head back without anything. Not even without a berry that wouldn't potentially melt right through his body.

_"...There aren't even any porkchops in the wild!_ " Elliott groaned and found himself leaning dramatically against a tree, closing his eyes and letting the hot sun beat down on his face through the leaves. "Oh, just kill me. End my suffering," he whined, leaning his head back against the base of the tree and slowly rolling it back and forth in a head shake. "I can't live like this. The last time I went camping was- Oh, god dammit.." He sighed slow and long, tapping the spear on the ground.

Then he heard something.

A call of a bird. Elliott peeked an eye open at that sound, looking around with a furrowed brow. He heard it again, a squawk or something. He looked around, pushing himself from the tree with the spear properly in hand. "Okay, I can't be hollu- helli.. s-seeing and hearing things right now. C'mon," he laughed nervously, quietly to himself. He heard it again behind him and swiftly turned around, spear pointing at the creature making that mocking call - a crow. Or a raven. It was some sort of black bird and Elliott didn't know _what_ it was, all he knew was it had a new name. _Porkchop_. "Oh _hello_ there little birdy-boo..." A wicked - crazy? - smile blossomed on Elliott's lips, and his eyes burned with a newfound hunger. The black bird, perched onto a fallen log, stared at the man as he slowly moved closer. "Heya, little guy.. Or gal. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm Elliott, lover of animals - Friend of animals? Yeah that sounds much better.. Uh, listen.. You won't mind if I just, uh.. you know.." He crept closer, the man's grin growing. The bird cawed and raised its wings in panic, Elliott lunging forward - using the spear to prod it, but the bird evaded his attack and flew towards a large stone a few feet away. It watched him, little beady eyes. Elliott narrowed his gaze and cracked a smile, though it was forced. "C-Come on, now. I'm so _hungry_ , I just need something to eat, Porkchop. Don't do this to me. Be a good little bird," Elliott slowly moved forward, watching the bird raise black wings slightly, skittish. He slowly lowered his spear and raised his hands slightly to show he had no weapon. But he sure as hell had _hands_.

"You won't mind, right, Porkchop? Just some dinner for the night.. I can't have anymore fish, it's becoming gross and - I am talking to a _bird_ , just _come here--_ " Elliott lunged forward, this time reaching and grabbing the bird. The critter squawked and flailed, bit and pecked, clawed and scratched. Elliott didn't realize how much of a fight a _bird_ could put up until it turned and tried to go for his beautiful face. Elliott yelped and attempted to hold the bird away from his face, backing up and shutting his eyes to save those from the monster's assaulting beak and claws. Then something hit his ankles, causing him to fall with a shout and a thud, the bird going free. He landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him. He coughed and gasped for air, slowly moving to get up - until something heavy pressed against his chest. He opened his eyes and saw a heavy boot on his chest, the color in his face paling as he followed up the boot up to the knee, the thigh, the stomach, the chest, and finally, what _should_ be the face of the assailant.

A masked figure stood with their boot planted on his chest, a spear in their hand aimed directly at his throat. He swallowed, the point could almost touch his Adam's apple with the movement it made. He could see dark fur on their shoulders, large and fluffy. Their mask looked to be made of an animal skull that he couldn't quite recognize, antlers sprouting from the top. A shawl hung from their forearms, accompanied by animal skins of different shades of brown. Elliott decided that the most terrifying thing about them was their _red eyes_. He couldn't tell, but their eyes appeared to be glowing, shiny, _angry_. Elliott heard a caw, and from the corner of the eye, he saw the blasted animal return - and land on the person's shoulder. The spear moved, the tip tilting his chin up so their gazes met again. He cracked a nervous smile and an even more worried laugh, "H-Hey, uh.. H-Have you met my friend there, uh, Porkchop?"

Oh this wasn't good.

* * *

"..and it will filter the water we get from the rain, giving us drinking water! But we will need to build it first, yes?" Natalie spoke, looking at the blueprints - or sandprints, she calls them - she made in the sand, using a long stick and her genius. Ajay stood at the side so she wouldn't damage the designs, _Dimitri_ sitting a bit away, but closely watching Natalie and Ajay together. The nameless woman herself was watching, sitting away from the group. Natalie beamed with excitement while she looked at the plans for a water purifier - Or at least something close enough to it to give them fresh water! Ajay smiled to the blonde, nodding with approval.

"Ya did good, especially in such a short notice? Impressive. Now if we could-"

_"Outta the way, we got one down!"_ A bold voice cut the medic off, and suddenly, the blueprints were disrupted and scattered by a heavy metal robot body being dropped on it. Both Anita's voice and the thud Pathfinder made scared Natalie, causing her to jump and cover her mouth with both hands, eyes wide. "Bot got overheated, I'm afraid his battery might be shot," Anita spoke, standing and wiping sweat off her forehead with her forearm. Natalie immediately slid to her knees to inspect Pathfinder, she could just remake the schematics for the water.. again.

"Oh, dear. How long has he been out?" Natalie asked, instinctively touching Pathfinder's head, only to pull her hand away quickly with the hot metal burning her fingertips. She hissed, and Anita shook her head.

"About an hour? Had to drag his heavy ass over here - the guy weighs 900 pounds! We didn't make it far, but him powering down kinda made the trip tougher than it needed to be," Anita rubbed the back of her neck with a grimace.

"Oh, the poor thing.. Ah, but if I remember correctly, some MRVNs are outfitted to charge during the day - solar energy!" Natalie gasped and abruptly stood, scrambling towards _Dimitri_ , who had been sitting by several suitcases and large cargo crates that he and Makoa had dragged onto the beach. Scavenging through the crates, Natalie stood and clapped her hands together in glee. " _Oui!_ I found a MRVN Solar Kit, we can save him!" She cheered, gathering some panels and some wires. Anita's lips almost curled into a scowl. She had been thinking of scrapping the guy for anything useful.. _Dimitri_ also thought it was a shame. What use would the MRVN have where there was no maintenance, like on an island such as this? He stayed silent however, watching Natalie hurry back to Pathfinder, Anita, and Ajay. "Can you help me get him to the shade? I do not want to burn myself in this heat," she asked Anita, eyes bright.

The woman opened her mouth to respond and agree, but Ajay quickly butted in. "Nah, ya don't need any heatstroke or somethin'. Go sit yuh butt down and get some water, we can get Makoa so he can help ya with the MRVN." Ajay waved Anita off, who sighed and headed towards the shade to cool off, deciding to stay away from _Dimitri_ in the meantime. Natalie nodded with excitement, Ajay walking with her down the beach to find Makoa. The blonde seemed so chipper, running ahead to greet Makoa, who was just finishing up fishing and working on getting some firewood for the night. The sun was going to go down soon, another hour maybe.

"Mr. Gibraltar! Miss Williams brought back Pathfinder, he is powered down unfortunately. Can you help me move him? I am afraid any more heat might fry his circuits," Natalie spoke, watching the large man stand up and stretch. He smiled to her, nodding his head.

"Of course! I hope he'll be okay, Path has a big personality. Hey - Have either of you seen Elliott anywhere?" Makoa's smile shifted slightly, and Ajay caught sight of the worry in his face. Just a little. They shared a glance, and he glanced to Natalie before waving his hand off, "Ah, he's probably lookin' for food still! I'm sure he'll come back with plenty of fruit. Might make us a cocktail - he said he makes good drinks," he laughed softly, walking towards Pathfinder with Natalie, and she whispers to him that Elliott might be hunting for porkchops.

Ajay watched the two walk off, and she pursed her lips slightly. Her gaze landed on the nameless girl, sitting away from everyone, messing with something. She looked nervous. Jumpy, Ajay silently wondered if she had even slept. Taking in a breath, she walked towards the lone wolf, remembering that she had been on the beach the entire day. "Hey," she greeted, sitting down a few feet away from her. The girl glanced to her before looking back at the item she was holding - a scarf that looked torn. She said nothing, so Ajay continued. "Yuh haven't seen a guy with wavy hair, have ya? Was supposed ta be fishin' with Makoa." The girl glanced to Ajay, then away, then back. Anxious, maybe. Or hoping that she would leave.

"He left hours ago. To.. find porkchops."

"..Porkchops don't grow on trees, Witt.." Ajay sighed slowly, raising a hand to rub at her face. The girl shrugged her shoulders, looking back at the scarf in her hands. She was somewhat cradling it. Ajay could see her leg bouncing with either agitation or anxiety. "..He ain't gonna survive out there alone."

"No."

"..Yuh very talkative. Yuh very _worried_ for a guy with the survival instincts of a cracked coconut." Ajay was a little less than amused that this girl was acting like she didn't _care_ that a guy just walked into the woods, where they've never been in. They were lost here - alone, with nobody to help them. And this man just walked right into the woods looking for _porkchops_. The girl had gone quiet, staring down the beach. "You can at least act like yuh care. We are alone here, and we're the only people we have left until further notice," Che glared at her, a little agitated by her carelessness.

"Maybe you should ask _him_ to care, then." The girl nodded towards the beach, and Ajay grew confused until she looked past her.

Down the beach was the shape of a man, he walked as though he was sore from a hike. He wore a jacket, the shape of it making him look larger than he potentially was. In his hand was something that she couldn't tell what it was at this distance. Ajay swallowed and stood up, eyeing the man as he stumbled. When their eyes seemingly met, the man stopped in his place. Ajay seemed hesitant before she moved towards him. The man took a few steps back, but he stayed his ground. "Hey-" Ajay greeted him, approaching him, but she stopped when the man raised something white and green, aiming it towards her. A warning. She could see that his flesh was wet and sticky with swear, his hair sticking to his skin, brown eyes narrowing and looking at her, then the nameless girl. He swallowed, his throat dry.

"That's close enough." His voice was a bit rough, his free hand was tensed into a fist, and Ajay could see it. She eyed the object that he pointed at her, she couldn't quite tell what it was.

"We ain't gonna hurt yuh. How long yuh been here?"

"Same as you. All of you," his responses were quick, precise, _careful_. Ajay made a quick note of that, realizing that he was a little paranoid of the situation. She could see the way his gaze flickered. She heard footsteps behind her, heavy, and she knew it was Makoa coming to join her. Ajay raised a hand after glancing back to him, silently telling him to stay back. _Dimitri_ stood further away, arms crossed over his chest. Anita stood by Makoa, shoulders tense while they watched the new man. Natalie was going to join the three, but _Dimitri_ stopped her with a hushed whisper, and she reluctantly stayed by the large man. The new survivor narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ajay spoke calmly, "You can trust us. We not gonna hurt ya," she said gently, trying to motion him to lower his weapon, but he did not.

The man's eyebrows furrowed slightly, lips in a firm, straight line. His empty fist trembled, he kept his defensive stance, counting heads. "How do I know you aren't the ones who took us all down?"

"What do you mean?" Natalie spoke up, immediately questioning him with a curiosity in her eyes. His gaze landed on her, and _Dimitri_ standing beside her. The men's gazes met, and there was a new tension in the air. Something wasn't right with the way _Dimitri_ glared at him. As if he was going to _spill his secrets_. The man gave the stranger a silent warning.

He spoke again, answering Natalie's question. His gaze landed on Ajay, the item in his hand still aimed at her. "It wasn't an accident. Someone brought us here. How do I know it's not you?"

Ajay blinked, glancing back towards the others. Not all of them looked harmless. In fact, half of them could definitely hurt someone, but they certainly didn't need to. Especially right now, with how scattered everything is. How scattered their control over the situation was. She took in a breath, and looked towards the man. "..We'll just need yuh to trust us." The stranger's nose scrunched up slightly, glaring at the woman whose hands were still raised. She looked at him, then the item he had in his hand, and she spoke again. "Now if you would _kindly_ put that down, we gotta get ready for tha night. Ya not obligated ta join us, but we _do_ have food and a fire."

The stranger eyed the group, seeing how tense they were. He was the only one holding a _weapon_ , and everyone else looked worried or concerned for one another, or themselves. The man took in a slow breath and hesitantly put away his weapon, holstering it against his back. Fine. He could play. Ajay clapped her hands together and sighed. "Good, good. Now, don't go pointin' tha' thing around. Poke someone's eye out wit' that." She shook her head and beckoned Makoa to join her, walking towards their little camp. Natalie and Anita followed, and the nameless girl stood to scamper off with them in search of food. This left the stranger and _Dimitri_. The two stared at one another on the beach, staring. The air was silent, even the waves had gone quiet.

Then the stranger began to walk, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. He approached _Dimitri_ , walking past him. The two of them shared a glance - but _Dimitri_ had a glare of sorts in his eye. A threatening one. The stranger felt his throat get tight as they passed by. _Dimitri_ took in a slow breath, and he closed his eyes. His arms uncrossed, hands clenching into fists at his sides. He slowly breathed out, muscle tensing with his knuckles turning white. He opened his eyes and stared forward, forcing himself to remain calm. Yet, his heart still raced.

_They had seen each other just before it happened. Passing each other in the hallway. Dimitri walking into the laboratory, and the cautious man looking over his shoulder. He had seen him holding something. A canister that he discretely hid in his lab coat pocket - small, compact. Deadly. The nameless man didn't stop walking, hands in his pockets. The item on his back clicked when Dimitri walked inside._

**_He had seen_ ** _**it.**_


End file.
